Simplified drive mechanism for ice maker

ABSTRACT

An automatic ice maker arranged to permit facilitated servicing thereof including structure for maintaining synchronization of a control mechanism and tray mechanism notwithstanding disconnection of the motor drive therefrom. A clutch may be provided for selectively disconnecting the motor drive to permit manual driving of the control and tray mechanisms such as for quickly testing the operation thereof.

United States Patent [191 Linstromberg I Mar. 18, 1975 SIMPLIFIED DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ICE MAKER [75] Inventor: William J. Linstromberg, Evansville,

- Ind.

[73] Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich.

[22] Filed: Jan. 16, 1974 I [21] Appl. No.: 433,918

[52] [1.8. CI 74/421 A [51] Int. Cl. Fl6h l/20 [58] Field of Search 74/421 R, 421 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3.168340 9/1974 Williams 74/42l A Primary Examiner-Leonard I-l. Gerin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord ABSTRACT An automatic ice maker arranged to permit facilitated servicing thereof including structure for maintaining synchronization of a control mechanism and tray mechanism notwithstanding disconnection of the motor drive therefrom. A clutch may be provided for selectively disconnecting the motor drive to permit manual driving of the control and tray mechanisms such as for quickly testing the operation thereof.

12 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATEFHEU MR] 81975 3.871.242 SHEET 1 3 PATENTEDHAR 1 81975 d/JQ SIMPLIFIED DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ICE MAKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION lecting receptacle in a repeated automatic ice body forming and harvesting cycle. The ice maker includesa timer control which controls the delivery of water to the tray. In the ice maker of said patent, the tray is driven by a drive gear meshing with a pinion driven by a timing motor and the control is driven similarly from the timing motor. It has been found that in servicing such an ice maker apparatus, timing between the timing gear and drive gear may be lost because of the possible rotation of the timing gear relative to the drive gear permitted by a removal of the motor and motor pinion. Where the timing relationship is lost during the servicing operation, the timing must be reset by the serviceman to re-establish the working arrangement of the ice maker.

Further, it is desirable in certain servicing operations, to quickly operate the tray mechanism and control mechanism to test the operation thereof. In the normal operation of the ice maker, the full cycle may be approximately two hours long and, thus, a substantial delay may be incurred in causing a complete cycle of operation for test purposes.

Another improved ice maker structure is disclosed in William J. Linstromberg U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,476, owned by the assignee hereof. In this ice maker structure, a clutch is provided in the means for driving the ice making and harvesting mechanism to break the driving connection from the drive motor in the event of jamming or other stoppage of the ice making mechanism which would otherwise tend to stall the motor.

Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,456 of Duane C. I

Nichols, owned by the assignee hereof, an ice maker is disclosed including means for preventing mechanical connection between driving portions of the mechanism 7 as an incident of a sensed full condition in the ice maker collecting bin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprehends an improved ice maker having means for maintaining synchronization of the tray mechanism and control mechanism thereof while permitting facilitated servicing of the ice maker when desired.

More specifically, the invention comprehends providing such an ice maker wherein a series drive arrangement is provided for the tray and control mechanisms which may be maintained notwithstanding a disconnection of the motor drive therefrom.

In the illustrated embodiment, the ice maker is provided with a drivable ice body tray mechanism, a drivable control mechanism for controlling cyclical operation of the ice maker, a motor drive, and means for maintaining synchronization of the tray and control mechanism.

More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the drive means is arranged to drive the tray mechanism. The motor drive includes an electric motor and a drive pinion for driving the drive means. The drive means may comprise gear means having a first set of teeth driven by the motor drive and a second set of teeth for driving a timing means.

In the illustrated embodiment, the drive means comprises a ring gear with the motor pinion engaging external teeth on the gear and the timing means comprising a gear engaging internal teeth on the ring gear.

The means for releasably connecting the motor drive with the drive means may comprise means for removably mounting the motor drive in the ice maker. The releasable connecting means may comprise a clutch means, and more specifically, may comprise clutch means for breaking the drive connection between the drive motor and the drive means.

Thus, the clutch means permits manual movement of the tray and control mechanisms while maintaining the drive motor mounted in the ice maker apparatus.

The ice maker means of the present invention is extremely simple and economical of construction while yet providing the highly desirable features discussed above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice maker having means for facilitating servicing thereof embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged end view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a section taken substantially along the line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary section taken substantially along line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, an ice maker generally designated 10 is shown to comprise an'ice maker generally similar to that disclosed in the above-identified U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,456 of Duane C. Nichols, which patent is incorporated by reference herein.

Briefly as shown in FIG. 2, the ice maker includes a tray 11 in which ice bodies are formed from water delivered thereto by suitable water supply means 12. The tray is carried on a support 13 by means of a pivot 14 at one end of the tray and is rotated about the axis of pivot 14 by suitable mechanism 15. The tray is rotated to the upright position of FIG. 1 for receiving the water and is maintained in this position until the water is frozen to form the desired ice bodies. Automatic rotation of the tray is then effected to twist the tray to free the ice bodies from the walls of the tray and'to invert the tray so as to drop the freed ice bodies into a subjacent collecting bin 16. A sensing device 17 is provided for sensing the level of the ice bodies collected in bin 16 to control the operation of the ice maker. The specific structure of the ice maker providing the twisting operation and the controlled harvesting operation form no part of the present invention and reference to the above-identified Frohbieter and Nichols patents may be had for a full understanding thereof. The present invention is concerned with means for driving the twist tray mechanism and for timing the operation of the water delivery means 12 from a motor drive generally designated 18 which permits facilitated servicing of the ice maker.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, motor drive 18 is enclosed in a control housing 19. Motor drive 18 includes an electric drive motor 20 having an output shaft 21 pro vided with a driver pinion means 22. Pinion means 22 drives a drive means or drive gear 23 which, in turn, drives a timing gear 24 of the control mechanism generally designated 26 for controlling cyclical operation of the ice maker. Timing gear 24 is carried on shaft journalled in housing 19. In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIG. 4, drive gear 23 comprises a gear having a ring gear peripheral portion 27 defining external teeth 28 meshing with a pinion gear 29 of driver pinion means 22, and internal teeth 30 meshing with timing gear 24.

Drive gear 23 further includes a center portion 31 encircling a shaft 32 carrying a connector portion 33 of tray 11 for selectively turning a coupling 34 secured to shaft 32. As best seen in FIG. 5, coupling 34 includes a tubular housing 35 carried on shaft 32 by a connector plate 45 and adapted to be aligned with an opening 36 in the center portion-31 of the gear 23 at one point in the relative rotation of the drive gear about shaft 32. A pin 37 is slidably mounted in tubular housing 35 to cause the nose portion 38 of the pin to enter into the opening 36 under the biasing action of a coil spring 39 coaxially disposed on a rearward extension 40 of the pin. The rearward extension 40'extends through an opening 41 in a wall 42 of the housing 19 when the pin 37 is in the position shown in FIG. 5. Opening 41 defines a retainer for preventing rotation of coupling 34 as long as extension 40 projects through the opening. As long as the nose portion 38 is prevented by contact with timing gear 24 from moving under the bias of spring 39 to disengage extension 40 from opening 41, rotation ofgear 23 imparts no motion to shaft 32. However, whenever a recess 44 of timing gear 24 becomes aligned with the opening 36, pin nose portion 38 may enter through opening 34 a sufficient distance to move extension 40 from opening 41 and allow the pin 37 to lock gear 23 to tubular housing 35 to cause housing 35 to move with gear 23 to rotate connecting plate 45. Thereby, shaft 32 is rotated in a harvesting cycle. A spring lever 46 is provided to prevent axial displacement of pin 37. Spring 46 is selectively disengaged from pin 37 by the sensing arm 17 under the control of a biasing spring 47 to allow the control to operatethrough a harvesting cycle. Whenever the level of ice bodies in bin 16 reaches a preselected full level, arm 17 is prevented from disengaging spring 46 to release pin 37 and thereby driving of the shaft 32 is prevented by maintaining the pin nose 38 out of the opening 36.

As best seen in FIG. 6, driver pinion means 22 provides a one way clutch which includes a hub portion 48 fixed to the drive shaft 21 of drive motor 20 by a suitable key means generally designated 49. Pinion gear 29 is biased against hub 48 by means ofa coil spring 52 extending coaxially about an outer end of the hub between a split ring 53 on the hub, and pinion gear 29 coaxially mounted on the hub. The inner end of the hub defines an outturned flange 54 and the confronting surfaces of pinion 29 and flange 54 are provided with interlocked teeth 50a on hub 48 and 50b on pinion 29 which, when in engagement as shown in FIG. 6, provide a driving connection between the hub 48 and drive pinion gear 29 so as to drive gear 23 from electric motor 20. Teeth 50a and 50b are sawtoothed in shape such that the hub drives the pinion in a clockwise direction, but if the pinion is rotated in a clockwise direction relative to the pinion, the teeth are separated against the bias of spring 52 and the pinion 29 can be rotated relative to the pinion.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, drive gear 23 projects through an opening 61 in control housing 19 into a recessed area 60 to allow manual rotation of the drive gear. In the orientation shown in FIG. 3 with drive motor 18 electrically off, if the drive gear 23 is manually rotated in the normal counter clockwise direction, pinion gear 29 is rotated in the clockwise direction and teeth 50a and 50b separate to allow the pinion to rotate. Thus, the drive gear 23 can be easily manually r0- tated in one direction to different portions of the ice making cycle so that the mechanism can be tested for proper operation without the need to wait for the drive motor to drive the control mechanism through the entire cycle which takes approximately two hours. Thus the ice maker operation can easily be tested at several points in the ice making cycle without the need to wait through the entire time consuming ice making cycle.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a modified form ofthe ice maker drive mechanism is shown. The operation of the control mechanism 26 is the same as that heretofore described. However, in this embodiment, the pinion gear 129 is fixed to motor drive shaft 21 and drives drive gear 23 through a gear reduction idler gear clutch mechanism generally designated 68. The idler gear clutch mechanism includes a gear 69 driven by pinion 129 and a gear 70 for driving drive gear 23. Gears 69 and 70 are fixed on a shaft 71 which is axially movable for disengagement of gear 70 from drive gear 23. Shaft 71 has end 73 journalled in a bearing 75 and end 74 projecting through an opening in cover 42. The engagement of gears 70 and 23 is maintained by a biasing spring 76 and a shoulder 72 on shaft 71 limiting axial movement of the idler mechanism toward cover 42.

Thus, during normal operation the pinion 129 drives drive gear 23 through idler mechanism 68. However, when the projecting shaft end 74 is manually depressed inwardly through cover 42, gear 70 is disengaged from drive gear 23, permitting rotation of motor shaft 21 without concurrent driving of drive gear 23, thereby de-energizing the drive. Manual rotation of drive gear 23 is thereby permitted for use in servicing the ice maker, and more specifically in testing the operation of the ice maker components in different portions of the ice maker cycle as heretofore described. The drive gear 23is'easily rotated because of the complete disconnection of the motor drive.

As shown in FIG. 6, timing gear 24 includes shaft 25 rotatably received in a suitable journal 57 formed in housing 19 to be in engagement with internal teeth 30 of gear 23. Thus, notwithstanding disconnection of the motor drive 18 from the driver gear 23 such as by removal of the drive motoror drive motor and pinion means, or by declutching operation of the clutch mechanism 68, synchronization of the timing gear 24 with the drive gear 23 is maintained thereby avoiding the need of any retiming of the ice maker element subsequent to such motor removal or declutching, thereby facilitating servicing of the ice maker. Thus, as the timing gear recess 44 is maintained synchronized with the drive gear opening 36, the desired selective control of the ice maker relative to the level of ice bodies in the collecting bin is maintained notwithstanding the above discussed servicing steps relative to the drive means.

The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is illustrative of the broad inventive concepts comprehended by the invention.

Having described the invention, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an ice maker having a drivable ice body tray mechanism, a control mechanism for controlling cyclical operation of the ice maker, and a motor drive, means for maintaining synchronization of said tray and control mechanism comprising:

drive means for driving said tray mechanism; timing means driven by said drive means for timing said control mechanism; said timing means locked in driven association with said drive means;

means for releasably connecting said motor drive in driving association with said drive means whereby said timing means is maintained synchronized with said drive means when said motor drive is disconnected from said drive means.

2. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said motor drive includes an electric motor and a drive pinion driven by said motor for driving said drive means.

3. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises gear means having a first set of teeth driven by said motor drive, and a second set of teeth for driving said timing means.

4. The ice maker means of claiml wherein said drive means comprises a ring gear having internal and external sets of teeth, one set of said teeth being driven by said motor drive and the other set of teeth driving said 6 timing means.

5. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a ring gear having internal and external sets of teeth, said external set of teeth being driven by said motor drive and said internal set of teeth driving said timing means.

6. The ice maker means of claim I wherein said means for releasably connecting said motor drive with said drive means comprises means for removably mounting said motor drive in said ice maker.

7. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said means for releasably connecting said motor drive with said drive means comprises clutch means.

8. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said motor drive includes an'electric motor and a drive pinion driven by said motor for driving said drive means, and said means forreleasably connecting said motor drive with said drive means comprises idler gear clutch means for breaking the driving connection between said drive pinion and said drive means.

9. In an ice maker having a drive motor, a pinion connected to said drive motor, a drive gear meshed with said pinion, a twistable harvesting tray driven by said drive gear, and a control including a timing gear for controlling the cycle of operation of the ice maker, the improvement comprising:

gear teeth on the timing gear; and

gear teeth on said drive gear meshed with said gear teeth on the timing gear, said drive gear driving said timing gear and maintaining said timing gear in timed relationship therewith notwithstanding removal of said drive motor and pinion for servicing.

10. The ice maker improvement of claim 9 wherein clutch means are provided for breaking the driving connection between said drive motor and said drive gear for permitting manual driving of said drive gear independently of said drive motor.

11. The ice maker improvement of claim 9 wherein clutch means are provided for allowing manual rotation of said drive gear in one direction.

12. The ice maker improvement of claim 9 wherein said gear teeth on said drive gear comprise internal gear teeth therein. 

1. In an ice maker having a drivable ice body tray mechanism, a control mechanism for controlling cyclical operation of the ice maker, and a motor drive, means for maintaining synchronization of said tray and control mechanism comprising: drive means for driving said tray mechanism; timing means driven by said drive means for timing said control mechanism; said timing means locked in driven association with said drive means; means for releasably connecting said motor drive in driving association with said drive means whereby said timing means is maintained synchronized with said drive means when said motor drive is disconnected from said drive means.
 2. The ice maker means of claim 1 wheRein said motor drive includes an electric motor and a drive pinion driven by said motor for driving said drive means.
 3. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises gear means having a first set of teeth driven by said motor drive, and a second set of teeth for driving said timing means.
 4. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a ring gear having internal and external sets of teeth, one set of said teeth being driven by said motor drive and the other set of teeth driving said timing means.
 5. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a ring gear having internal and external sets of teeth, said external set of teeth being driven by said motor drive and said internal set of teeth driving said timing means.
 6. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said means for releasably connecting said motor drive with said drive means comprises means for removably mounting said motor drive in said ice maker.
 7. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said means for releasably connecting said motor drive with said drive means comprises clutch means.
 8. The ice maker means of claim 1 wherein said motor drive includes an electric motor and a drive pinion driven by said motor for driving said drive means, and said means for releasably connecting said motor drive with said drive means comprises idler gear clutch means for breaking the driving connection between said drive pinion and said drive means.
 9. In an ice maker having a drive motor, a pinion connected to said drive motor, a drive gear meshed with said pinion, a twistable harvesting tray driven by said drive gear, and a control including a timing gear for controlling the cycle of operation of the ice maker, the improvement comprising: gear teeth on the timing gear; and gear teeth on said drive gear meshed with said gear teeth on the timing gear, said drive gear driving said timing gear and maintaining said timing gear in timed relationship therewith notwithstanding removal of said drive motor and pinion for servicing.
 10. The ice maker improvement of claim 9 wherein clutch means are provided for breaking the driving connection between said drive motor and said drive gear for permitting manual driving of said drive gear independently of said drive motor.
 11. The ice maker improvement of claim 9 wherein clutch means are provided for allowing manual rotation of said drive gear in one direction.
 12. The ice maker improvement of claim 9 wherein said gear teeth on said drive gear comprise internal gear teeth therein. 